10 Things About Me Award!

Chloie over at Orchestrated Destiny tagged me for a cute blog award! Thanks so much! It will be listed on my awards page. I couldn't find any rules on this one but apparently everyone is listing 10 not necessarily cute things about themselves then tagging 10 people. So, here we go....

1. Today is Ash Wednesday, which means it is the beginning of lent. This year I am choosing to give up cussing for 40 days. I have to admit that have already slipped 3 times today which is pathetic. Agh!



2. If you are wondering why it has been so long since I have posted a book review, it's because I am desperately trying to finish up a long book that really isn't all that interesting. (I'm sure none of you were wondering.)



3. I personally don't feel all that cute right now. I need to hit up the tanning bed and lay off caffeine immediately.



4. I apparently like words that end in -ly. Definitely, totally, obviously, immediately, seriously....I say/write them all the time. How annoyingly valley girl of me.



5. I'm paranoid about my feet.



6. I am a sugar freak! My favorite sugary goodness consists of Sour Patch Kids, Peach Rings, Nerds, Dots, and Mini Cadbury Eggs. My sister even bought me a Sour Patch Kids T-shirt for Christmas that I wear around my house all the time. Oh and did I mention that sometimes I beat together butter and sugar just to eat with a spoon? Yeah....it's that bad.



7. Number 7 is dedicated to the number of cavities my dentist found in my mouth the last time I went to the dentist....obviously due to number 6.



8. I'm obsessed with Stat Counter. It drives me crazy when people visit my blog and I have no idea who they are...come on - show yourself! I want to label you immediately! Or, you know, if you don't want to you still have permission to continue to drive me crazy.



9. My puppy really likes to watch TV. Do they make Baby Einstein's for dogs?



10. Oh, and I tend to talk about my dog a lot now. It's annoying I know. I probably need to send out apology letters to my co-workers, family, and friends. I just can't help it - she does something new everyday!

I will now be passing on the award to.....

Liz @ A Mom on Spin

Amy @ Bitchin' Wives Club (oh and thanks for making me slip up for a 4th time today on my lent promise)

JLC @ French Kiss

Just Playing Pretend

Kaitlin @ Life of a Busy Wife

Not The Rockefellers

Shaken and Stirred @ Sarcastically Optimistic

Ashley D @ Turquoise Ribbons

Young Traveler

Gwen B. @ Got to Be Kidding Me

Vacation Location Picked!

I finally finished my tax return over the weekend, which means I got to plan our vacation! We decided on visiting Maya Riviera in Mexico. We have picked our resort and today Michael is in charge of calling with questions and seeing if he can get us a better deal! This is where we will be staying....

And we will definitely be doing this....although maybe at the actual spa. I'm not too big on being naked in public. Awkward!

I cannot wait! If anyone has been here and has any tips or advice, please share!

The Old Fashioned Letter

I don't know about you, but mail has always excited me. The first thing I do when I get home is rush to the mailbox. I am usually disappointed and just find bills and junk mail, but when I get a card or letter or even magazine I get super excited.

Don't get me wrong, I love how fast and convenient it is to send a quick email or text, but there is just something about a handwritten note that makes me feel special. I think it is the time and thought that you know is put into it that makes it different from the other options.

I feel old fashioned, but I love sending birthday cards to people on their special day. I use holidays as an excuse to shop the card aisle and use up the extra postage I have on hand. I have to admit that I am a slacker when it comes to the handwritten note though. Obviously I have written my fair share of thank you notes, but I can't remember the last time I wrote a just because note.

It's sad to me to think that when we get older, our children won't be able to go through a box of letters to find out about our juicy life details. All of our correspondences will be protected with a password which we will more than likely take to our grave. Maybe we think that's a good thing right now, but 50+ years down the road our past might not be so worth hiding.

When you think about it, all we have left of our ancestors are the pictures and documents that they have left behind. Oh sure, we have the stories that have been passed down from family member to family member, but we have all played the telephone game and know how that ends up. I believe that we all want to be remembered and for the most part none of us are going to make a big enough contribution to society to be documented in the history books. So my question is, how will our future ancestors remember us?

The Night Sky

There is something about looking at the night sky that makes me feel a great amount of uncertainty. All the sudden it seems like there are an infinite number of possibilities of what might happen in my life. It causes me to feel a mixture of different things. I feel insecure, excited, scared and out of control all at the same time.

In the daytime I feel like I have everything all mapped out. I know what my life is and what it will be. There are no questions. There are no doubts. But when the sun goes down and the stars come out, I start to feel unsure about the amount of control I really have in my life.

Seeing the stars makes me aware of the fact that there is more out there than I can ever possibly imagine. When I look up, I feel as though someone is looking down, whether it be God, people who are no longer with me, the unknown, or all of the above.

I know it should comfort me that someone or something knows how my life might turn out and might know that the troubles that I am experiencing at the time will pass and at some point be insignificant, but it doesn't. I want to feel like I am in control of my own life. I feel that way in the daytime, but the darkness takes it away from me. I become suddenly aware that there are so many outside factors that I cannot control.

Although I don't like this feeling of the unknown, I do think it is a great reality check. We have no idea what paths our lives might take. I have always had this weird habit of thinking about the worst possible outcomes that could happen out of a particular situation. I can come up with some pretty wild and heart wrenching things, but no matter what I think of, life always seems to surprise me. Nothing in life can be fully planned out no matter how hard we try, there will always be twists and turns to knock us off our feet and leave us wondering what will happen next.

I believe the night sky is there for us to remember that we are not always in control. It brings a sense of mystery and excitement. It also brings back the reality of life - uncertainty. Without uncertainty, life would definitely lose some of it's appeal.

Even as children we feel these things. Kids are afraid of the dark and the scary things it might bring. I think even as adults we feel the same way, but with more reason. Children don't know what scary and unplanned things life can bring, but adults do. We might not know the exact things, but we know the possibilities. I think that is what makes me still somewhat frightened of the night sky.

Valentine's Day on Pause...Again

It shouldn't have been a big deal, but it was.


Michael had to work Saturday night, so we had planned to celebrate Valentine's Day on Sunday instead. I had the whole day planned out: breakfast in bed with mimosa's, strawberries, and banana nut bread, a lazy pajama day, and ordering take-out for dinner with a bottle of wine in the peace and quiet of our own home.


Everything started off good. We were relaxing and eating our breakfast when Michael mentioned that he had family coming in town that day. I had completely forgotten. He had told me earlier in the week that his Aunt and Uncle from Michigan were coming down because his cousin had baseball tryouts at some of the local colleges here in Tennessee. They were supposedly coming around lunch time and of course I didn't have the house in tip top shape. I felt my anxiety raging throughout my body.


A few hours later, a clean house and phone call to his parents we find out they are going to be later than expected. I'm glad they got to comve visit and really my frustration is not at all directed at them. I'm just upset that this nightshift has given us such limited time together. I guess we will just have to wait until next weekend to have our romantic escape from life.


We so needed this romantic and relaxing day to just enjoy each others company. I can't wait until this night shift crap is over with. I feel like we have missed out on some of the fun things you experience in your first year of marriage. Everything has unfortunately had to be put off until this shift is over. The middle of March can't come soon enough!

Just a Few of My Favorite Things....

Doesn't that title just make you want to burst into song? Ok, well it makes me want to anyways and I'm sure I'm going to have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the day as well haha.

Anyways, back to the point of this post. This is the second prompt that I chose from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop. She suggested we write about 5 of our favorite things. It's so hard to narrow down all of my favorite stuff to just 5, but here is what I picked.

Sedu Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron - This baby is a Godsend! I have been cursed (I mean blessed) with super curly hair and struggled for years to make my hair stick straight. This is just one of the awesome products I have found. I don't go anywhere without it and actually keep an extra on hand just in case something happens to it. It works wonders and I think it's better than the Chi that happens to always short out on me! You can purchase one here.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling - This is my go to wine when I go out for drinks with the girls! I love it and recommend you try it!

Peter Thomas Roth Anti Shine Mattifying Gel - If you have a shiny face, this is the product for you. It just takes a little bit and your problem is gone! I use this everyday (as well as my husband) and if I ever accidentally forget to put it on, my face will let me know! You can get this at Sephora.

My Recipes.Com - Every time I'm in need of a new recipe to try I always turn to this website. They have recipes from Southern Living and Cooking Light (both magazines always have wonderful recipes). Give it a try and maybe you will find something new to love yourself!



Olay Ultra Moisture In-Shower Body Lotion with Shay Butter - I don't know about you guys, but I get super dry skin in the winter and love my hot showers. I can almost feel my skin dry up instantly when I get out of the shower, but now that I have found this lotion that I can use in the shower, my problems are solved! Be careful though, it does make the shower a little slippery.

Ok, well that's it! I hope you guys found something you might be able to use out of this post. If you have anything you would like to share, please do!

I'm Spilling it All!

I have been tagged by Gwen B. over at GOT to be KIDDING me to dump out my purse and show you all my goodies in my purse. Don't get too excited, I don't really have all that much exciting in there. Oh and I was nice enough to remove all those pesky crumpled receipts I keep shoved in there.

Here are the rules:

1. Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you can't go into your closet and pull out your favorite purse! We want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house.


2. List how much it cost. And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, we’d love to hear it.


3. Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your bag.
   

This is my Coach purse that my mom bought for me a few years ago for Christmas. She got it at the Coach outlet store on sale the day after Thanksgiving. If I remember correctly it around $130? Don't quote me on that though! I have several purses but really I only switch between this one and a brown Coach purse everyday. So unexciting, I know.

So, here are my goods! From left to right, top to bottom....

1. LG Voyager


2. Wallet from J. Crew


3. Estee Lauder Lip Gloss in Amethyst


4. Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets


5. 1 of my many lists in my purse (I really need a small notebook)


6. Peppermints


7. Aloe Vera Chap stick


8. Medicine (Imodium and Benadryl)


9. Orbitz Gum


10. Keys


11. Travel hair brush (I've had it FOREVER)


12. Pen


13. Hair Tie


14. Safety Pen


15. Extra contacts

Now all of you know exactly what I have on me at all times! It's your turn...spill your goods! I'm tagging Maki, Bodaat, Young Traveler, and anyone else who wants to join in!

A New Career

It's Thursday, which means it's time for another one of Mama Kat's Writers Workshops. This week she had several good topics to choose and I'm apparently incapable of making decisions so I plan on doing two other ones I like tomorrow and Saturday so check back if you are interested.



The first topic I chose was: You were recently laid off. Instead of moping around, you've viewed it as a chance to start fresh. Pick a new career and write about your first day on the job.



When I was young I always pretended I was a travel assistant or a secretary. I'd collect all of my papers or tickets in a little box and "handle" the fake phone lines. I think I just really liked playing with paper to be honest. When I got a little older I pretended I was a teacher. I would line up my dolls in my room and take roll. On my dresser at my mom's house you can still see where a few made up (and misspelled) student names are engraved in the wood. Oops.

In high school and college I started dreaming bigger. I wanted to be a business woman. I wanted to be important and proud of my job. As I got closer to the interview process I started to realize I wasn't confident enough or enough of a go-getter to do the dream job I had pictured in my mind. I also realized I was way to set on where I wanted to live and too big of a family person to do all the moving around being successful requires.

I found a job and it opened my eyes to how big companies really work. All the challenges I thought that wouldn't exist anymore in the business world was still there. I learned that some people only live to work and don't understand when family and life in general can sometimes get in the way.

If I were to be laid off I would be picking from two options on how to make my fresh start.

Option A: I would like to become a small business owner. I have always had this idea in the back of my mind. I know it would be hard work, but I think it would be worth the challenge because I would be doing something I want to do! As for the type of business it would be some sort of gift shop filled with all the things I love - dinnerware, entertaining supplies, and sit-arounds (and if you don't know what that is, because my husband makes fun of this word, it's all the little stuff that sits around your house).

Option B: I know this isn't specifically considered a career per say, but I would love to be a housewife. I've always been very family oriented and making every thing go smoothly in the home is an integral part of making a happy family life. I could cook, bake, and clean while everyone was gone to school or work so that we could all spend more time together when everyone gets home. I think that is something I could take pride in and look forward to doing it when the time comes. I tried to talk Michael into letting me be a stay at home puppy mom, but for some reason that just didn't fly.

One day I will do both of these options, but for now I will be where I am until they tell me I can't work here anymore or until we move. Crazy enough I can't think of one thing that I would like to do in the mean time, not because I'm in love with what I'm doing, but more so that I only want to do the two options above and unfortunately they just aren't possible at this time.

Pet-A Roo Pet Carrier Anyone?

The weekend before Michael and I went to pick up Lola (if you haven't met Lola click here and here) we went on a shopping spree at Pet Smart to stock up on all the things she would need, which by the way ended up being quite a lot for the little fur ball. There are plenty of crazy things out there you can buy for your dog, but one of the most hilarious ones we came across was this....

"With the Pet-A-Roo Pet Carrier, you no longer need to leave your beloved pet home alone. Slipon the comfortable carrier in seconds, place your pet in the kangaroo pouch, and off you go for a walk, hiking, shopping, household chores...whatever life requires. Your pet will be comfortable and happy and you'll have the benefit of more cuddle time with your best pal. Pet-A-Roo's design makes carrying your pet safe, comfortable and easy. "

Anyone else find this ridiculous? Michael and I died laughing when we came across it.

Skip forward to last night.

I decided to make a new recipe for the girls at the office for Valentines Day. It requires you to make lemon curd, which I had never made before. I first attempted to make this Monday night while my husband was home so he could entertain the puppy. Of course I failed miserably. I used a pot that was way to small and every time it would start getting the right consistency I'd have to remove it from the heat and let it cool down. Long story short, I ended up with lemon curd caramel. Great.

So I went back to the store last night and tried to attempt it again - alone. Let me just say Lola is a wild woman when I get home from work. She's been sleeping all day in order to save her energy to play with me when I get home. And when I say play, I really mean bite my toes. Forget the toys, she just wants to play with me and my appendages. I take her outside to "do her business" with no luck. Of course not.

The recipe requires me to whisk constantly for 12 plus minutes straight. Not a big deal right? Wrong. 2 minutes into it she makes a huge runny poo on my kitchen floor. I see her and I know exactly what is going to happen next. She's going to eat it. We've already washed her up 3 times from playing in her poo and it is not fun. (BTW what is with this fascination of one's own poo that dogs have?) So, I quickly pick her up while still whisking (I will not let these eggs curdle, no way!). In a furry to escape my one arm stronghold she does a gymnast like back flip out of my arms and lands (not so catlike) on my kitchen floor just narrowly escaping the poo.

Before you call the animal cruelty patrol on me, she's fine. I flipped out of course and told Michael, maybe we shouldn't have children since I go around dropping puppies on hard surfaces. I put her in her crate to recover and I went about my whisking. Both Lola and the lemon curd are fine. As for me? I'm contemplating on purchasing the Pet-A-Roo Pet Carrier.

Memories Through Clothing

I have a bad habit of keeping clothes for a long period of time. I usually buy classic/basic things so they don't really go out of style. Confession - I have clothes in my closet from the 8th grade. Sad I know. My body has of course changed since then, but somethings I can still fit into so I've kept them just in case. There are a few things I have kept that I don't plan on wearing again, but I hold onto because they have special meaning to me. Like my first pair of high heels (which happened to be lime green). Me and my friend Britney bought them at Payless to go with our Limited Too dresses we bought for our 8th grade dance. Fun times. I also have all of my prom dresses and formal dresses that I will probably never wear again. Those I can't part with not because of sentimental value, but mostly because I know how much they cost.



A few things are more sentimental though, like my classic first date shirt that I wore all through high school. Something about it just made me feel sexy and confident. I don't think I can ever part with it. I also have the top I wore on me and Michael's first date and the dress I wore when he proposed. There are certain nights that I can remember exactly what I was wearing when something happened even if it wasn't anything special. Clothes for me hold memories. They were carefully picked for specific occasions and I can't let go.


Today I put on a dress that I didn't know if I could wear again. It has been hanging in the laundry room for over a month and I finally put it back in my closet. At one time this dress made me feel comfortable and classy. It wasn't anything special, but I liked wearing it to work and church. It was something easy to put on and comfortable throughout the day. A few months ago however I wore it to something that I knew would make me not want to wear it again. Isn't it funny how clothing can hold memories just as music and smells?


Do you have any clothes that hold memories for you?

Who Are You?

Today is Fun Friday Quiz Day! Tangobaby did this on her blog a few months ago and I was surprised at how accurate the results were! If you want to know more about me, just read my results below (this is in place of 25 random things)! And if you don't want to know more about me, well then just move right along....

You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyn's are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.


How to Get Along with Me
* Be direct and clear
* Listen to me carefully
* Don't judge me for my anxiety
* Work things through with me
* Reassure me that everything is OK between us
* Laugh and make jokes with me
* Gently push me toward new experiences
* Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Marilyn
* being committed and faithful to family and friends
* being responsible and hardworking
* being compassionate toward others
* having intellect and wit
* being a nonconformist
* confronting danger bravely
* being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn
* the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
* procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself
* fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
* exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
* wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
* being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations

Marilyn's as Children Often
* are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
* are anxious and hyper vigilant; anticipate danger
* form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
* look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
* are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyn's as Parents
* are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
* are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
* worry more than most that their children will get hurt
* sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

WHO ARE YOU???

Take the test and let me know! There are only 2 questions (you know you have time)!

Have fun and happy Friday everyone!

What's on My Mind?

Today is Thursday (thank God!) which means it's almost Friday as well as it's Writer's Workshop day with Mama Kat! Yay! The prompt that I picked today is: Write a list of ten things on your mind this week. I thought this one was a great one to do since I have been a little absent from the blogosphere lately.


1. I HATE working on Saturdays, especially since this is this one of the two days that I actually get to see my husband. I also hate feeling like I'm going to lose my job or get my manager in trouble if I actually have plans on the weekends and can't attend. I think it's unfair to give your employees goals to hit to get out of Saturdays and then change them on Thursday morning. But whatever, who am I to say anything.


2. I LOVE my Lola! She has been doing so good with going to the bathroom outside. She is so cute, but very time consuming. Unfortunately, right now we have a biting problem that we are working on. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! She loves to play and been tiring me out everyday haha. I thought puppies needed lots of sleep? She must be doing that while I'm at work. She will close her eyes for two seconds with me then will have a sudden burst of energy.


3. I need to finish my tax return today so I can hurry up and get my refund back. Maybe my husband and I can plan our summer vacation this weekend. I have no idea where we want to go right now, but all I want is the beach, sun, and a frozen drink in my hand. Ahhh. Wherever this place is on my computer background might be nice to visit. It gets me through the day.



4. I've had several requests to do the 25 random things about me list. I've given it some thought and decided I wouldn't be able to make it interesting enough so I'll be thinking of something else to do in replacement of it. Sorry guys! I can hardly read all the way through other people's so why would they want to read mine?


5. I know a lot of people who are pregnant right now and they are all having boys. Are we going to be having a shortage of females in the world soon? Please tell me you guys know of someone having girls!


6. I have been thinking a lot about this quote that I have taped to my computer at work..."If you don't like something, change it, if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." - Mary Engelbreit. It sounds so simple, but it's something I struggle with.


7. I can't wait to make my Valentines Day cards this weekend. Thanks to the $1 aisle at Target, several people will be getting cute little cards from me and Michael! I have a really cute idea for one of them that I can't reveal just yet!


8. I think I'm turning into a caffeine addict. I really have to have it to get me through the day now. Maybe it's just my change in schedule?


9. It really bothers me that I'm so far behind with my blogging. It's crazy how much reading you have to do to get caught up with everyone when you have only missed just a few day! I have been missing my creative outlet so much this week!

I'll Be Back Soon!

Ok so I've been a total slacker here lately. I have to admit I haven't read any blogs in the past few days, and obviously I haven't posted, but I've been very busy with this little ball of fur!

Isn't she just precious?!? Oh, and I can't resist showing you her fat rear end. It just cracks me up!

We have been busy trying to establish a schedule and some housebreaking routines. I have to admit she is catching on pretty quick. Only a few accidents in the house. I came home today to find that she only peed on the pee pad while I was gone and she's been getting better and going straight out and doing the business. Although, I have to admit that the weather has not been too friendly to our training. Can you find her?

She has been doing a lot of running around and leaving all these cute little tracks. I've been busy chasing her about!

Speaking of which, it is time to go out again! I promise I will get back to my regular scheduled blogging as soon as possible.

Goodnight for now ya'll!